Hey!

I was having this issue with my laptop freezing or restarting. I started up my computer to try to fix that problem a few days ago and noticed that I could faintly see anything on my screen. I don't know what that issue is, but can that in anyway be linked to my random restart/freeze problem? Or am I just lucky enough to have two problems at once! haha

I'd say normally no.
I've seen a lot of inverter boards go, but no other fault associated

But it is possible I suppose

antonea, tell exact model of laptop

Your backlight or inverter is bad. Try connecting an external monitor and see if the image is normal. The restarting and freezing may be caused by a bad or loose hard drive. This can be caused by memory too. I don't think the freezing and video problems are related

well, on startup the BIO's splash page flickers to its normal bright color for a quick second. would that help indicate if its the inverter or backlight?

So you didn't connect an external monitor? Still do so if you can. The bright flash may mean Inverter, but it can also indicate a bad video chip (motherboard) The functioning external monitor will tell us if the motherboard is good

im sorry! i forgot you told me to plug an external monitor in...well i did and it seems my computer problems are never just black and white:
i plugged my monitor in and my laptop showed up clear as daylight, but after the windows xp loading screen my monitor went into power save mode and acted like there was still a computer running but well...was asleep. so i checked my laptop screen and i was able to faintly see my welcome screen and then desktop.

ideas?

When the monitor goes into that power save mode, hold down the Fn key and press F8

ok, well anyways...since the monitor works what does this mean for my laptop screen??

That took a whole day to answer (don't take offence but Tmagic650 wanted an answer a while back now!)

Anyway, start with removing the display bezel, and checking the Inverter board (ie unplug replug, and seeing it looks burnt out)
Hardware experience required, also referring to manual for Power and antistatic precautions. The Inverter board is high voltage !

ha, yea sorry i didnt mean to take so long! my mind comes and goes...ok. i will take a look at it ...right now and report back and let you know how things go/look!

ok, well i checked the inverter connection and unpluuged and replugged it. is there any other sort of connection i should check while it is still open?

Yes you can remove the LCD and check the back data cable too

Was I too late?

no, but i dont even know what the back data cable is!!!

Usually an orange flat ribbon cable, plugged into the back of the LCD

Also does the inverter look ok?

yea, i believe so. i dont see anything going on there that would lead me to believe anything is wrong with it. anything specific i should look for on the inverter that would clue its bad?

Actually just looking won't confirm faulty (obviously )
But sometimes you may see it black all the plasic cover even looking grey and dirty (showing signs of burn out)

Anyway get the part number stamped on it (4 sequential numbers I think)
And search

well, ive disconnected and reconnected everything...connectible back there. and nothing looks burnt...so whats the news? haha

Find that inverter board, somewhere for sale, order it install it, and test

Then reply back here, in a weeks time!

Note: This might work (but that's what I'd do)

To save the reply, I don't know where, just keep searching, ask around. (someone's got one no doubt.)

here's a tip
look on the inverter board near the video connector (usually to the left) there may be markings. F1 that is a fuse. small as it may be, you can check it with a meter and see if you have > 1 Ohm if YES fuse is good.

If no reading the fuse is blown (open). replace inverter

I carry a backlight tube in my Go-Kit to test backlights. Since there isn't much of a way to test them unless your ohmmeter has Khz reading. Then you can hold the meter probes near the pink/white wires. Now I will have to get a neon glow tester, that may also read whether voltage is being output to the backlight.